Abhidhamma View : The Truth of the Way [Presented by Dr.Tep Sastri @ SD/JTN]

Vism. p. 524- 527 (excerpt):

76. Briefly (see XXII.31 for details), when a meditator is progressing towards the penetration of the four truths, his eye of understanding with Nibbaana as its object eliminates the inherent tendency to ignorance, and that is right view. It has right seeing as its characteristic. Its function is to reveal elements. It is manifested as the abolition of the darkness of ignorance.

77. When he possesses such view, his directing of the mind on to Nibbaana, which [directing] is associated with that [right view], abolishes wrong thinking, and that is right thinking. Its characteristic is right directing of the mind on to [its object]. Its function is to bring about absorption [of the path consciousness in Nibbaana as object]. It is manifested as the abandoning of wrong thinking.

78. And when he sees and thinks thus, his abstinence from wrong speech, which abstinence is associated with that [right view], abolishes bad verbal conduct, and that is called right speech. It has the characteristic of embracing. Its function is to abstain. It is manifested as the abandoning of wrong speech.

79. When he abstains thus, his abstinence from killing living things, which abstinence is associated with that [right view], cuts off wrong action, and that is called right action. It has the characteristic of originating. Its function is to abstain. It is manifested as the abandoning of wrong action.

80. When his right speech and right action are purified, his abstinence from wrong livelihood, which abstinence is associated with that, [right view] cuts off scheming, etc., and that is called right livelihood. It has the characteristic of cleansing. Its function is to bring about the occurrence of a proper livelihood. It is manifested as the abandoning of wrong livelihood.

81. When he is established on that plane of virtue called right speech, right action, and right livelihood, his energy, which is in conformity and associated with that [right view], cuts off idleness, and that is called right effort. It has the characteristic of exerting. Its function is the non-arousing of unprofitable things, and so on. It is manifested as the abandoning of wrong effort.

82. When he exerts himself thus, the non-forgetfulness in his mind, which is associated with that [right view], shakes off wrong mindfulness, and that is called right mindfulness. It has the characteristic of establishing. Its function is not to forget. It is manifested as the abandoning of wrong mindfulness.

83. When his mind is thus guarded by supreme mindfulness, the unification of mind, which is associated with that [right view], abolishes wrong concentration, and that is called right concentration. It has the characteristic of non-distraction. Its function is to concentrate. It is manifested as the abandoning of wrong concentration.

This is the method in the description of the way leading to the cessation of suffering. This is how the exposition should be understood here as to defining birth and so on.

84. When this knowledge is mundane, then, occurring as the overcoming of obsessions, the knowledge of suffering therein forestalls the [false] view of individuality; the knowledge of origin forestalls the annihilation view; the knowledge of cessation forestalls the eternity view; the knowledge of the path forestalls the moral-inefficacy-of-action view. Or alternatively, the knowledge of suffering forestalls wrong theories of fruit, in other words, [seeing] lastingness, beauty, pleasure, and self in the aggregates, which are devoid of lastingness, beauty, pleasure, and self; and knowledge of origin forestalls wrong theories of cause that occur as finding a reason where there is none, such as "The world occurs owing to an Overlord, a Basic Principle, Time, Nature (Individual Essence)," etc.; the knowledge of cessation forestalls such wrong theories of cessation as taking final release to be in the immaterial world, in a World Apex (Shrine), etc.; and the path knowledge forestalls wrong theories of means that occur by taking to be the way of purification what is not the way of purification and consists in devotion to indulgence in the pleasures of sense desire and in self-mortification.

Note: forestall = to keep from happening or arising; make impossible; delay, prevent or forbid.